


If Shikamaru Is a Cloud

by hateno



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Ending, Definitely Not Chapter 700 because SASUNARU, M/M, Not Chapter 700
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 06:23:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3518714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hateno/pseuds/hateno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tells the story of a simple cloud and a vast universe through the years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ten

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys--finn here again with some more bs for you to look at. this story extends into chapter 700 themes, except with the pairings I WANTED cause im THE BEST jk its for my pleasure

**Clouds** fulfill their purpose and move on, they exit this world in the boring way they entered. They produce rain for grieving, snow to cause frostbite, or strike people down with lightning. All of these are things they're expected to do, and they do them before disappearing. When they do cease to exist after their fleeting presence, no one notices or cares. Life moves on without them, marching forward as always. The change isn't even acknowledged. They appear, do what's expected of them, then disappear, just as unimportant as before. There are no particularly great clouds as they all perform at the same level.

\--Average.

Shikamaru supposes that's why he identifies so closely with them. He's been average all his life, never been much of an interesting person. He expects to exit this world quietly and with a small to non-existent crowd of mourners. It's not like this upsets him at all or anything. He figures it's just his luck that landed him with average skills and virtually no presence in the competitive world of the shinobi. Hell, if he was going to look at it honestly, Ino and Chouji have a better chance in the field. All he can do is paralyze people--that's all he's good for, essentially.

Well, that, and sleeping.

There's a loud banging on the thin door and he's jolted from a dreamless slumber. "Shi-ka-ma-ru!!" He hears a shrill voice shout, sounding slightly angered. A feeling of dread washes over him. That must be Ino, the impatient blond herself, and the speed and volume of her knocks means his ass is dead. Sitting up and glancing at the clock, he sees that it's about thirty minutes after he was supposed to be meeting his team for 'training'. _'Training'_ because he's sure they won't get much done anyway. They never really do, what with his lack of motivation, Chouji's constant hunger, and Ino's whining combined. "Get your lazy ass out of bed before I come in there and kill you!!"

Small crowd of mourners, just remember that small crowd of mourners.

"I'm comin," he exhales, getting up off his bed and dragging his feet over to the door, opening it in his pajamas. "Sorry, Ino, my alarm wasn't set..." He rubs at his eyes, frowning at the almost blinding sunlight. "Where are you guys practicing at?"

"We're on our way to the training field. We just spent a half hour eating breakfast, because this buffoon slept in, too, and couldn't _go on_ without his precious food." She points over her shoulder at the remaining member of team ten, who looks sheepish. Ino is complaining as always, but she probably wasn't on time either. "God, I can't count on either of you. Isn't that sad? My _own team_!"

Chouji pokes his head into the door, grinning from ear to ear. "I saved some breakfast for ya, Shikamaru!" he exclaims, cutting Ino off mid-whine.

"Thanks, Chouji," he responds, lifting the takeout box from his friend's hands and beginning to walk to the table. He _is_ pretty hungry.

"Wait, you're kidding." Ino gapes, watching Chouji enter the house as well. She has no choice but to come in, shutting the door behind her. "You're gonna _eat_ now? We're already so late!"

"Who's waiting for us?"

The moment this exits Shikamaru's lips, he regrets saying it. Great. It's also followed with an unbearable silence, in which the lazy boy opens the carryout and mutters his thanks with a coughed, "Itadakimasu." Of course no one is waiting for them. Asuma is dead, they all know this, so why in the hell did he just bring it up? Chouji doesn't look as cheerful, and even Ino has stopped complaining now. The silence of the three of them creates tension, and Shikamaru sets his chopsticks down. "I've lost my appetite," he mutters, sighing heavily. The other two shift uncomfortably, so he just stands. "Let's get going, dumbasses, it's not helping to mope around like this. Training is important if we want to protect this village." He slides his hands into his pockets and yawns.

He suddenly feels again like the unlikely leader of these people. Similar to when the lot of them went out to try and save Sasuke, he feels like their success is completely based on his performance. He hates this feeling. He doesn't think he's cut out for it at all. Clouds don't lead, they follow.

"You're right, Shikamaru, let's go." Chouji stands and smiles at him, slapping a hand onto his shoulder.

_If Shikamaru is a cloud_ , Chouji is a _butterfly_. Someone who has been enslaved in a cocoon of his own design for years. Put down by everyone else, looked upon as a useless, overweight fool. The cocoon has been close to caving in on him before, many times. Shikamaru has watched as the boy almost crashed and broke down on several occasions. This is the point at which this cocoon breaks. When you see his true potential--when he emerges as a brilliant butterfly that shocks the world with its beauty and grace. Everyone watches when that butterfly appears.

Ino stands, nodding with a similar look on her face. "Right. Let's get going, you lazy morons."

_If Shikamaru is a cloud_ , Ino is a _bright, beautiful flower_. One that blooms in whatever space she is present in, grabbing all attention. The way she fights appears silly at first, but you realize after it's too late that the flowers' roots are poisonous, and you can never win. Hot headed and charismatic, she really is a gorgeous person, one to be treasured and seen as the wonderful bloom she is. Everyone is fully aware of her existence, and many would miss her.

This doesn't mean that he's jealous of either of them. He loves the two of them indefinitely--they're his best friends in the entire world--and he'd never be envious of their individual talents. 

A day of actually rigorous training passes, and he feels satisfied--feels like they've done Asuma proud. He doesn't smoke that night. It's the first night in three weeks that he doesn't.


	2. Resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize for my probably ooc kiba

The next day, he runs into someone he's been avoiding since the start of the new year. The party held for the rookie nine, er, eight had been fairly extravagant, and included various types of alcohol, and of _course_ someone would get Shikamaru drinking. His father had been terrible with it, and it was no surprise when he instantly abused the stuff. The problem with this party arose when he 'accidentally' kissed Kiba at midnight. Easily laughed off in any normal situation, sure--but Shikamaru was already in love with the Inuzuka boy. Had been for a while, but alcohol brings out the things you really would rather have nobody know. Now, he's walking towards him with his large white dog, Akamaru, at his heels.

_If Shikamaru is a cloud_ , Kiba is a _universe_. Formed by energy and heat, sparkling with millions of tiny lights. Lights that he wishes he could reach out and touch, even though he knows they'd burn him--because the intensity of these lights could mold together into a flame. A flame that is his heart, his life force that holds an immense amount of love for those important to him. He's admirable, kind, loyal, wonderful, handsome, he--

The boy's daydream-esque thoughts are interrupted by Akamaru barreling towards him, barking loud and happy.

"Akamaru--!! Hey, c'mon!!" He hears Kiba shout behind him, jogging over. Shikamaru ruffles the dog's fur, smiling softly at him. He's a cute dog, even if he is big and clumsy.

"It's not a big deal," he exhales, crouching to the dog's level and scratching behind his ears. "Good dog." After giving Akamaru the attention he so obviously desired, he stands straight and grins crookedly at Kiba. "Haven't seen you in a while..." he smiles, shoving his hands into his pockets. No big deal, neither of them will mention it, right?

"Not since ya planted one on me, nope!" Wrong. The stupid perfect dog boy immediately blurts this. Does he have _any_ shame? Any whatsoever?

"...Right, about that..." Now, Shikamaru has a terrible choice to make. Lie and mislead him, or tell the truth and risk _everything_. Risking everything is not really something Shikamaru is known for. In fact, he's mostly known for doing nothing at all. This is why he chooses the easy way out here, and lies to the boy in front of him. "It was just a mistake, y'know? I was just drunk. I don't wanna lead you on or anything."

Despite everything screaming at Shikamaru to disbelieve this, he thinks he can see a bit of disappointment on Kiba's features. No, that isn't possible. "Right... Yeah, I figured. That _was_ a crazy night! Well, Akamaru and I better get going, or we'll be late for dinner with mom." Knowing the boy's mother, it's of utmost importance that he get there on time. He waves goodbye and just like that, the awkward situation is finished.


	3. Unlikely Kings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SLIGHT NSFW WARNING FRIENDS

It's not until his lips are mashed against Temari's that he notices anything strange about the way things have been going lately. He's a bit tipsy again-- _she's_ a bit tipsy, and now two people who have done nothing but bicker or fight since they met are _all over_ each other. Strange, really. It makes him wonder where the hell life will take him next. It's too late to be thinking about that, because her hand is in his pants and they're about to make an enormous mistake together.

You would think a genius with an IQ of two hundred plus would have been able to remember protection that night. However, this particular genius is a moron, and now he's stuck being a single parent to a kid he didn't _want_ yet. Temari had disowned it immediately, needed to return to the sand, had other duties, and _didn't_ love him.

_If Shikamaru is a cloud_ , Temari is a _sandstorm_. She whips up into a rage faster than he's ever seen anyone accomplish--even his own mother, Yoshino. She tears through hearts and breaks spirits with the battering of cutting sand she carries in her precise swipes of her fan. Powerful enough to cut, to fell trees, to murder you if you aren't careful. But like any sandstorm, once the terror is over, the dust must settle back down, and settling was to return to her origin. To be with her brothers--to abandon this imperfect mistake of a child.

As time goes on, Shikamaru realizes that his son isn't the mistake he had lamented on the day Temari had broken the news of her pregnancy. Shikadai is a lazy, unmotivated, cloud-watching boy with the temper of a magnitude five hundred earthquake--and Shikamaru loves him. He's four years old when things finally settle down, and Naruto becomes the Hokage. Well, alright, maybe the second statement makes the first one untrue. Things don't _calm down_ , per se--they just get to a livable level of action. He becomes Hokage's advisor, gets a little more powerful, grows facial hair. It's just life, he supposes, though this isn't the way he planned things going.

Shikadai makes friends with Kitsu. Kitsu being the son had by a surrogate mother to further both the Uzumaki and Uchiha names--if that makes things clear enough. The boy is rowdy, loud and brash like his blond father, with all the superiority complex of the raven-haired. In short, he's nothing like Shikadai, but they get along somehow. Shikamaru realizes he's lonely, most of all. Lonely for someone to help him raise his child--and more importantly, fill the void he's got in his heart. 

Naruto tries making suggestions, tries hooking him up--Sasuke even chimes in at times. However, he's always either uninterested or apathetic because he knows who he wants and he can't have him, because it's been years and that ship of opportunity has most likely _sunk_. He still wants Kiba, no matter how hard he tries to tell himself it's not right and nothing will come of it. He'll never tell anyone either--not even Shikadai. The boy has started to become his diary of sorts--he tells him everything.

"Come _on_ , Shikamaru! She's really nice!" Naruto is trying, once again, to get him together with some kunoichi he's just met. As Hokage, he's made it his personal mission to know every citizen of Konoha, and that's why he's always got more women for him. He's still interested less and less every time.

"He's not gonna listen to you, Naruto," Sasuke exhales, rolling his eyes a bit. As a head of the ANBU black ops, he doesn't have to do shit for Shikamaru. The clan head doesn't feel like the man could help anyway, at this point--what does he know about romance?

He sinks lower in the plush seating of the bar, groaning. "Look, I'm fine. I don't really think I need anybody," he sighs, tapping his fingers on the side of his drink. He wonders vaguely if he should have said no to this little trip. He should have known that this was all that would happen. He takes a long swig of the drink, letting out a small sigh.

"But...!! But you complain about being by yourself. Wouldn't Shikadai want a mom? And what about you? You don't wanna be alone, 'ttebayo!" Naruto is obviously one too many drinks into the night. He's slurring all over the place, and swaying as he clings onto his fiance. 

Shikamaru shakes his head, and starts seeing a little bit of haze in front of his eyes. Shit, he's starting to get a bit drunk as well. It's the realization of this that hinders his ability to stop the next words out of his mouth. "I don't think he'd make a good _mother_ ," he grumbles. His hands fight flying to his mouth. No, don't notice it, you're drunk...

"Wait... _He_? Who are you talking about?" Sasuke, however, is _not_ drunk, and he caught the slip easily. Shikamaru shifts uneasily under his gaze.

"Hey, he _did_ mention somebody!! Shikamaru, spill it! We've gotta know!" Naruto climbs all over Sasuke now, yelling, face red. He looks like an agitated dog, he thinks. Well, fox--close enough.

All of this unfortunately means, of course, that he has to come clean. There isn't really anywhere he can hide. "...Kiba," he mutters under his breath, keeping his gaze low to the table. He hopes to god they won't try anything because of this. The last thing he needs is the Inuzuka finding out about it.

Naruto appears to be dumbfounded by this. His eyes light up and go wide, and he points at him in disbelief. "I _knew_ it! I knew it for five years! Oh man, I was right!!" He's extremely proud of himself, and his inebriation isn't helping how loud he's being. It's also the only thing keeping Shikamaru from decking him.

"Well, why haven't you done anything about it?"

This is where Shikamaru doesn't know what to say in response. He can't answer that. He doesn't have any reason not to, other than his own self-consciousness. As long as he keeps telling himself he's not good enough...


	4. Courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> record for most people in one chapter goes to me

The door to the bar suddenly slams open, and someone he'd rather not butt heads with right now is there. It's Ino. Of course it's Ino. That's just who he wants to see right now, especially in _this_ setting. "Shikamaru!" Even if she's twenty five now, like himself, she hasn't changed. She storms over, grabbing him _by his goatee_ and yanking hard. "Even if you're a _single_ father, you're a _father_! Get your ass back home, I've been with Shikadai for six hours!" She's right, too--he's been out all day, be it because of work or this.

"Aah, fuck, I'm sorry--let go of my beard, will you? That hurts," he complains, smacking at her hand. He still can't exactly see right, but he's not so lightweight that he'd be drunk already. "I'll head home now, okay? Just let go..."

Ino huffs, crossing her arms over her chest triumphantly. "I brought him, you know. He's waiting outside. For you. Hurry your ass up." With that, she turns abruptly, long ponytail swishing out behind her as she leaves the bar.

Naruto is quiet for a moment, before covering his mouth with his hand and snorting. "Man, s'like she's your wife! Y'ever think about her?" 

Sasuke pats Naruto's shoulder, exhaling. "Naruto, Ino is married to Sakura."

"Oooh, yeah."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes, and with a groaned goodbye he exits the bar. Sure enough, he steps out onto the street and sees his son staring up at him. A huge smile spreads across the small boy's face as soon as he sees him, and Shikamaru feels his heart melt. "Hey there, little fawn," he smiles softly, hoisting the small boy up into his arms, resting him on his hip.

"Hi, father!" Shikadai exclaims, wiggling and kicking his legs. "I had fun with aunt Ino today!" Much to the older man's dismay, the boy reaches up and adds to the number of times his beard has been pulled at today. 

"C'mon, cut it out, kid...!" he protests, removing his small hand from his facial hair. "You did, did you? I'm glad you like her."

"She's really pretty and nice! And we went to visit uncle Chouji!" As they start walking home, Shikadai lays his head against his father's chest, yawning. It's not long before he's carrying a sleeping boy back to their house. When they get inside, Shikadai is placed into the bed, and Shikamaru goes out onto the porch for a smoke.

Quitting cigarettes is a nasty business, and too troublesome for the man to bother with. Exhaling smoke into the air, he hears the excited calls of a few young kids, and sees three genin run for the residential district. A team must be getting done with training for the day. Looking behind them, he spots the squad leader and freezes.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" The call is followed by a bark, and he knows fully how screwed he is when a large, white dog trots up to him, big head lowered, wanting to be pet. "Haven't seen you in a _long_ time! Hard at work for Naruto, huh?" 

Ignoring the burn in his chest, Shikamaru responds by sighing as he pets the animal. "Yeah, unfortunately. The moron runs me ragged, I swear." His mind is telling him to say something to try to bring up the issue at hand, but... He's still afraid. Afraid that he's not good enough--that Kiba deserves better. "Look, can I ask you something?" Kiba's full attention is on him--what can he do but this? "I'd like it if you'd go with me for dinner, tomorrow night. That sound okay?"


End file.
